A 41-year old gardener Martin Dogbe, who subjected his 16-year-old daughter to consistent sexual abuse, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra circuit court.
Dogbe, who is said to have commenced his sexual escapade, when the victim was 11 years old, also gave her drugs to abort anytime the victim becomes pregnant and continued his sexual acts as soon as the foetus was aborted.
Dogbe charged with defilement and incest pleaded guilty, saying he could not tell lies to the court and that he indeed had sex with the victim and impregnated her.
According to him, he did the act anytime his wife was not around.
The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann convicted Dogbe on his own plea and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment on each charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire told the court that, the complainant was a 45-year-old head teacher of a school in Accra and the victim, now 16 years old, is a Junior High student of the complainant’s school.
Chief Insp Atimbire said the accused is the biological father of the victim and they live together in his family house at Power House at Roman Ridge in Accra.
The prosecution said between 2015 and 2019 Dogbe had sex with her in their room and in 2019, the victim became pregnant and Dogbe administered drug to her to terminate the pregnancy.
On January 27, this year, in the night, Dogbe forcibly had sex with the victim and on January 31, this year while the victim was being taught in school, her teacher noticed that the victim was absent minded and was shedding tears.
The prosecution said when the teacher asked her what the problem was, she disclosed that “it was because of her father”.
She was then referred to the Guidance and Counselling teacher where the victim disclosed the ordeal she had been going through.
A report was made to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service and the victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and medical report submitted on her.
Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim was currently at the Osu Shelter for care and protection. -GNA
